The U.S. was naive in hopes its satellites were safe from attack because they were out of reach or "that other nations would not dare," and other countries have surpassed it in anti-satellite technology, said House Armed Services Committee member Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., in a Center for Strategic and International Studies space threat report Thursday. CSIS said for nations that have successfully tested kinetic physical anti-satellite capabilities, like Russia and China, it's important to watch for development of testing new boost systems. It said there's evidence Iran and North Korea are interested in orbital space launch capabilities, which could be a precursor to kinetic physical counterspace weapons.

SES wants FCC approval to serve the U.S. from its Netherlands-licensed NSS-6 satellite. In an International Bureau posting Wednesday, it said the satellite -- launched in 2002 -- would let it provide Ku-band service to the Pacific region and Northwest continental U.S. from its 169.5 degrees west orbital slot.

Questions about when Amazon hopes to begin launches for its proposed 3,236-satellite broadband constellation or when it might become operational are premature, the company emailed us Thursday. It said Project Kuiper filings at the ITU last week (see here, here and here) are aimed at global broadband coverage targeting "tens of millions of people who lack basic access to broadband internet." Secure World Foundation Director-Program Planning Brian Weeden tweeted that the filings seem to point to it leaving all the satellites in orbit for close to 25 years, which isn't "very good for #spacesustainability."

Some of the orbital debris rules the FCC is contemplating could be applicable to European operators, so the agency should foster a global approach to that global challenge and not put "undue burden" on the European space industry, the European External Action Service said in a docket 18-313 posting Thursday. It said global voluntary norms for space security, safety and sustainability are "needed more than ever."

The C-Band Alliance drafted letters that would be signed by C-band satellite operators and customers spelling out operator commitments in any band clearing, according to an FCC docket 18-122 posting Thursday. Along with pledging such terms as maintenance of all contracted C-band satellite services within a transitioned 300 MHz environment, even in the event of any in-orbit satellite failure (see 1904030080), it also pledges signal degradation at earth station output won't exceed 1 dB due to 5G filters and estimates reimbursement costs for filter installation and for antenna seeding and antenna replacements.

The Office of Management and Budget OK'd the FCC asking fixed satellite service operators in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band for additional information about operations of temporary-fixed earth station licensees and about satellite operations, says a notice for Thursday's Federal Register.

Cumulative in-flight connectivity revenue over the next decade will be $36 billion as more airlines tie their fleets to high-throughput satellite services, Northern Sky Research said Tuesday. But 2018 was a challenging year due to equipment installation delays, airline indecisiveness and business model uncertainty, it said. All major airlines now are signed up for some form of connectivity, and the remaining opportunity is with smaller airlines, it said. Over the next decade, capacity pricing should go down significantly, meaning service providers will have to grow value-added services to make up for those pricing savings customers will see.

Aireon's satellite-based automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) system for real-time air traffic tracking is now live and in trial use over the North Atlantic, the company said Tuesday. It said the service should lead to airlines being better able to optimize speeds and altitudes, reducing costs, while air traffic controllers can be more efficient in air space use by reducing aircraft separation distances. Air traffic control company Nav Canada said 95 percent of North Atlantic traffic is already ADS-B equipped. Aireon ADS-B payloads are part of Iridium's Next constellation, and the last of those satellites were deployed in January (see 1902070007).

Satellite communications is expected to generate revenue of $119.05 billion between 2018 and 2025, with numerous operators moving toward low-cost global connectivity offerings, Frost and Sullivan said Tuesday. It said revenue opportunities include offering bandwidth and cost flexibility, spot beams based on downstream demand and more downstream demand extended connectivity.

With SpaceX planning to launch beginnings of its 4,425-satellite broadband constellation later this year, the company is asking for FCC International Bureau OK to set up a network of six gateway earth stations. According to the six bureau applications Thursday (for example, see here), the earth stations will relay data between the satellites and terrestrial internet exchange points, transmitting in the 14-14.5 GHz band and receiving in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band. The six are planned for locations in California, Montana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin plus two in Washington state. In a separate bureau filing Thursday, SpaceX recapped with an aide Chairman Ajit Pai about safety guarantees involving a request to modify the orbits of some satellites in the planned constellation; the company had similar eighth-floor meetings with aides to other commissioners (see 1903270021).